crazyj4488
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Mar 24, 2005
- Messages
- 632
All of the pics seen in this photo journal were taken by me as I traveled the parks. They follow the report as closely as possible; most of them were taken at the time in which the content refers to. Click on the links to view the pics as you read. Enjoy!
WDW SOLO trip report May 23-27, 2005
Day 4 - Thursday, May 26th
Losing My Car for a Day Walking 100 Miles Burning the Midnight Oil at EPCOT
Cast:
Me Jeff - 29 yr old male 10th time to WDW 1st SOLO Trip
Its Me When I had Blonde Hair. Woah!
Thursday, May 26 The Doing Whatever I Feel Like Day and Walking 100 Miles Day
I saved myself the annoyance of hearing Stitch when my wake-up call arrived at 7:15 AM by simply picking up the phone and slamming it down. I pictured Stitchs head sitting on the receiver and hoped I had dealt him a nasty blow. Yeah, I showed him!!
The only park I had not yet visited during this trip was The Animal Kingdom. However, I really only wanted to ride Dinosaur and see Lucky. This made my morning plans quite easy to devise. I would enjoy a Magic Kingdom morning since I could get so much done there in the early hours and then get over to the Animal Kingdom a bit later.
I couldnt turn on the TV to watch the news because I am a big dork who had watched American Idol all season long. I, of course, missed the finale the night before (Idol or WDW hrmm, tough freakin choice) and didnt want to know who won the competition before viewing the recorded finale at home. I knew if I turned the TV on at all, from that point on, that I would see the winners face posted all over the place. Anyways, the important information coming from the news would just be more of the same. They would report that it was going to be hot enough to fry an egg on the sidewalk.
I arrived at the TTC and parked my rental there with about 20 minutes until the rope drop. FINALLY! After a month or more of it being closed, the express monorail to the Magic Kingdom had been re-opened. This was a welcome sight for sure and I knew they had brought it back online in anticipation of the huge influx of crowds. The Summer vacation season would officially get underway in just one days time. It would be the Friday before Memorial Day and it was all about to hit the fan. Thank goodness I was flying out before the real mess began.
As usual, I high-tailed it to Tomorrowland, grabbed a Fastpass for Space Mountain, and rode it twice. My morning commute through space had become a ritual of sorts this week and I cherished every minute of it. Space Mountain was becoming as addictive as Spaceship Earth. Not a good sign.
After that, I took two rides on Buzz. I was determined to break the 100,000 point mark and did so with 100,250 on my second go around. With my ego boosted, I headed off into Fantasyland for my Pooh fix.
My escape into The Hundred Acre Wood was as satisfying as I came to expect. I headed right next door for some old-school goodness at Snow Whites Scary Adventures. I dont know what it was about this beat up old ride. I suppose it reminded me of the old dark rides I went on when I was a kid at different amusement parks. They always seemed to be scary in nature and Snow White was good throw back to those happy times.
I couldnt pass up a ride on a Doom Buggy afterwards; so, I bee-lined it over to Liberty Square and entered The Haunted Mansion. For some reason, the ride seemed to be operating better than it had been during the past month. I think they were really trying to get prepared for the large Summer crowds that would be beating down the doors in just 24 hours. Peter Pans Flight was even slated to re-open the next day after a short rehab.
Next, I secured a Fastpass for Big Thunder Mountain as I really wanted to ride it during the evening hours to get the full effect. After grabbing a pass, I got on Splash Mountain. Behind me, in the queue, was a large group of young teens acting completely obnoxious. They were yelling and screaming like maniacs and bumping into me repeatedly while rapping and carrying on ghetto style with foul language. I ended up slamming my elbow squarely into one of the monsters ribs the next time I was bumped into. I saw him wince in pain as I smiled my way towards the loading area. An older guy in front of me turned around and commented on their behavior. We were on the same page and I asked the cast member responsible for loading the ride vehicles if she would seat us far from the loud kids behind me. The guy in front of me thanked me as she held up the line and filled my request. Just a little effort from a good cast member goes a long way these days. I thanked her for understanding my plight and boarded my log.
As I made my way through Chikapin Hill, I noticed they had the water jets in the laughing place back on which made me happy. Of course, there was still a ton of things just a bit off but I still enjoyed myself. I really didnt want to get wet at the end so I ducked all the way under the seat in front of me and covered my head with the wash cloth I had with me to wipe away perspiration. This made for a lovely picture upon exiting the ride but I was as dry as I could be. Could I be more anal?
Afterwards, I wanted to make my way out of the park and get over to the Animal Kingdom. I figured I could catch some lunch and enjoy the few attractions and sights over there before it got too incredibly hot.
I decided to take the monorail over to EPCOT as I had not done it in years. My mind started reeling as to how I could work it all out. My plan was to leave my car at the TTC, ride the monorail over to EPCOT, and then head straight to the bus that transferred me to the Animal Kingdom. I did just that and my long ride on the monorail was great. I took some awesome pictures while taking the loop around Future World. It was all well worth going out of my way and leaving my car behind.
From the Monorail 1
From the Monorail 2
From the Monorail 3
From the Monorail 4
From the Monorail 5
I walked right down the monorail platform and into the bus parking area. The Animal Kingdom transport was, of course, loading at the very last spot in the lot. I swear I walked a quarter mile to get there.
Exiting the Monorail
It wasnt long before I arrived at The Animal Kingdom. I walked another quarter mile from the bus parking lot to the front gates. My feet were singing at this point and I was quite hungry and sweaty.
I looked over at the Rainforest café and decided that I could sit at the bar, have a beer, and enjoy lunch without being stared at like a lonely old freak. Before I entered, my cell phone rang with a client on the other end. I quickly took care of some business while standing at the Animal Kingdom entrance. After I hung up, I wondered if my client would ask herself why she heard the sound of gorillas and tropical birds squawking in the background while she spoke with me. If she said anything to me upon my return, I would simply say I was doing some tech support for a zoo or some such non-sense.
I let my poor client wrap her brain around the odd call while I bypassed the large crowd trying to get a seat for lunch and bellied up to the Rainforest Café bar. To my delight, they were serving cold pints of Fosters Lager in the infamous oil can. This drink had been one of my staples and really knocked the heat off my back.
I enjoyed my large beer and an order of Pot Roast for lunch. The food wasnt spectacular but I had experienced MUCH worse during this trip. I was quite satisfied with my lunch and got to talk to a young couple from Australia while at the bar. I thought it was quite odd that I was sitting there drinking an Australian beer while I talked to these people.
The restaurant itself was a sight to see. I had never been in a Rainforest Café so I was a bit surprised when it started raining inside the restaurant. Things didnt improve much when the monkeys and elephants started going crazy. I felt like I was in some sort of plastic robot freak show. It all came off a bit cheesy but it sure was a unique dining experience. I wouldnt say that I would go back to The Rainforest Café for another meal, but it is a great place to eat if you are SOLO. Simply grab a seat at the bar and grab a menu.
I left The Rainforest Café feeling about 80% better than I had arrived. My back, legs, and feet werent aching nearly as bad as they were when I arrived; Furthermore, I was cooled off and much happier. I had been trying all week long to get lunch reservations at Le Cellier but had no luck. Im sure the Ranforest was a far cry from Le Cellier but it served me well on this hot day. God bless the Fosters oil can in hot weather.
Le Cellier Keeps Alluding Me
Since I only had a couple of things on my Animal Kingdom to-do list, I took my time entering the park by strolling through the Oasis. On my way in, I grabbed a guidebook and, after I was done walking through the Oasis, I noticed that the Flights of Wonder show was going to start in just under 15 minutes. I saw this show a couple of years after the AK opened and remembered enjoying it. I couldnt fit it in on my last trip and was determined to catch the next show.
The Oasis 1
The Oasis 2
Before I went over to the Flights of Wonder theater, I wanted to grab a Fastpass for Dinosaur. This would guarantee a minimal wait after I was done seeing the big-brained bird show. Getting to Dinoland and then back to the Asia section of the park in about 12 minutes was tough. I effectively killed all my pleasant feelings from lunch by seriously hoofing it across the park. It was a brutal experience but I made it to the Flights theater with a Dinosaur Fastpass in my pocket just as they were roping off the entrance.
The show was just as entertaining as I could remember. Its kinda funny what you can make an animal do by bribing it with food. Any bird that gets the chance to fly away and ends up coming back to a cage is a hungry one. Either that or they prefer the air- conditioned environment to that of the stifling heat and humidity of Florida. Those are just two theories. My money is on the fact that they must have a case of Fosters beer back there in the bird hut.
Flights of Wonder 1
Flights of Wonder 2
After the drunken bird show was finished, I headed all the way back to Dinosaur and took a ride. It uses the same innovative vehicles as the Indiana Jones ride in Cali, but Im sure Dinosaur cant even hold a match to it. Ive even read stories of how much they skimped under budgetary concerns when building Dinosaur. This is one reason why it is so dark inside; to hide the lack of theming. I am just glad that we get to enjoy the same ride system used in Cali because its quite the experience. Ive always thoroughly enjoyed Dinosaur; I just dont consider it a huge loss if its missed while visiting WDW. Expedition Everest will have to fill the headliner attraction gap out at The Animal Kingdom. The park is in desperate need of another not-to-be-missed attraction.
After I exited Dinosaur, Lucky the Dinosaur was about to make an appearance so I hung around near the Triceratop Spin to see the show. I did see him during my trip in April during some sort of soft preview but he only walked by. There was no act to go with his appearance.
Lucky came out with a professor of sorts from the Dino Institute and they went through quite the humanizing act with Lucky. At one point, the professor gave Lucky a drink from an obnoxious looking souvenir cup which gave Lucky the hiccups. The professor had all the kids nearby gather in front of Lucky to try to scare the hiccups out of him. It, of course, did not work and Lucky hiccupped his way through the remainder of Dinoland.
Its Lucky and The Professor
Although I had no desire to spend time watching Lucky a second time, I thought he was the perfect addition to Dinoland, USA. For the life of me, I couldnt figure out why they were going to remove the attraction by the end of the Summer season. Lucky belonged in The Animal Kingdom. The only reason I can come up with for him to be leaving was that McDonalds has Disney on a super short budget leash. Dinoland, USA is sponsored by McDonalds and even looks cheap and cheesy to me. Its overly obvious and somewhat insulting.
My feet were slowly but surely melting into the pavement. The heat was becoming relentless. It was time to make my way out of the park for an afternoon rest. I grabbed a bottle of water and an ice cream cookie to help me through the remainder of my walk.
On the way out of the park, I walked down towards the exit of the Its Tough to be a Bug theater and found some lesser known paths which wind their way around the Tree of Life. On my last trip to the park, I had heard a cast member telling another guest about the hidden paths. Sure enough, I was the only person on these paths which came as close to the Tree of Life as you could get. It was odd to find such a quiet place while there were plenty of people filling the park. I took my time exploring Discovery Island and snapped some pictures of my surroundings.
Discovery Cove
Tree of Life from Discovery Cove 1
Discovery Cove 2
Discovery Cove 3
Discovery Cove 4
Discovery Cove 5
Discovery Cove 6
Discovery Cove 7
I had to take a bus back to Pop since I had left my car in the Transportation and Ticket Center lot. I had planned on spending another evening out at The Magic Kingdom so I would just pick up my car later on.
Exiting the Animal Kingdom
The bus ride back to the hotel was a miserable one and only solidified my resolve to always rent a car while vacationing at WDW. All of the seats were filled were quickly filled by the guests at The Animal Kingdom and the driver still stopped at Blizzard Beach to pickup more guests. Myself and others on the bus commented on this. No one could quite figure out where people were supposed to fit. Even the people getting on the bus at Blizzard Beach shook their heads at how full the bus already was when it arrived. Some people opted to not even get on. It was a pointless stop and I was absolutely exhausted from such a busy morning. It was almost 3 PM and my body was painfully in need of some rest. I was in no mood to have a half naked and somewhat wet woman in a bathing suit dangle her rear in my face while I sat on the bus. I even offered my seat to her to avoid the situation and be courteous; but, she refused it. Her pride had conveniently provided me with a less than pleasant view while we made our way back to Pop.
Once we did arrive back at the hotel, I practically pushed my way off the sardine can on wheels just to get some fresh air. I usually didnt react that way to crowded and enclosed spaces, but the heat and fatigue drains just about every last drop of patience from even the most fanatical WDW fan. I vowed not to leave my rental car ever again as I unlocked the door to my room.
I grabbed a cold beer out of my ice chest as soon as I got back into the room and sighed with relief. After gaining a slightly leg numbing buzz from the alcohol, I decided to draw a hot bath and dump some aromatherapy muscle soak salts into the water. Yes, it was somewhat emasculating to sit in a tub full of bath salts but I didnt care. My body was beat down. I had not been able to secure more than 6 hours of sleep since I had arrived and was paying dearly for it. One disadvantage to taking a SOLO trip is that you have no one else with you to tell you when to slow down a bit. Its easy to just keep pushing yourself without thought of how you may be affected by it.
After grabbing a couple hours worth of nap timed while struggling, once again, with the noise all around me at Pop, I woke up and grabbed a bus ride over to The Magic Kingdom. It was 6:00 PM and around dinner time so the bus service wasnt as crowded with guests and the ride over to The Magic Kingdom was much more pleasant than my ride back to Pop from The Animal Kingdom.
An Early Evening Bus Ride to the MK from Pop
More Details on Main Street
I started out in The Magic Kingdom by taking a pleasant ride through the Pirates of the Caribbean and then headed towards The Haunted Mansion. On my way into Liberty Square, I noticed that the Riverboat was pulling up to the dock and would depart for its last trip of the day. I detoured my way onto the boat since this SOLO trip was, partly, about doing things a bit differently. I couldnt even recall taking a ride on the riverboat. If I had done this in the past, the experience certainly occurred when I was too young to remember. This made things sort of exciting and different.
Taking a leisurely ride around the Rivers of America at sunset was just what the doctor ordered. I really enjoyed hearing the steam whistle blow. My favorite part was finally finding the river pirates partying in some cavern bar. You could hear them carrying on inside and our narrator for the trip was no longer worried about them causing us trouble during our journey. They were too busy to care about a boatload of funky looking tourists no matter how many fancy cameras we possessed.
Taking Pics of Myself on the Riverboat
The Steam!!
Aunt Pollys
A Trip Down The River of America
River Pirates Attack!
Big Thunder Mountain From the Riverboat
Alligator Swamp
Devils Elbow Marker
Wilsons Cave Inn. We Find The Pirates!
Liberty Square From the Riverboat
I was quite hungry after getting off the Liberty Square Riverboat. It was no surprise when I quickly ended up at the Pinnochio Village Haus in Fantasyland. Oddly enough, I was in the mood for a burger. I got the bacon cheeseburger with fries and enjoyed it quite a bit. I never ate junky fast food such as this but I knew I would walk the thing off by the end of the night. That was a certainty.
After my dinner, it was getting dark and I had a Fastpass for Big Thunder Mountain. I had been planning for quite some time to take a ride at night on the BTM Railroad. Therefore, I headed towards Frontierland to enjoy the experience. On my way over, I just had to stop and get another churro. It would make for the perfect desert and I easily finished it while walking along the river bank.
For some reason, Big Thunder was slammed with guests. I had to wait close to 20 minutes to board. This would easily be the longest wait for a ride on my trip. I couldnt turn back because they had already taken my Fastpass. The ride at night did turn out to be worth the wait though.
Big Thunder truly shows all of its magic at night. For example, during the flooded town scene, the second story windows of one of the buildings are lit up and there are shadowy figures of people dancing. This is not visible during the day and I was glad to have seen it. Many of the mountain scenes are lit with colored lights and the atmosphere is just great. I highly recommend taking a Big Thunder ride in the evening.
It was now around 9:00 PM and Spectromagic had started. My plan was to exit The Magic Kingdom, finally pick up my car which I left in the TTC lot in the morning, and then head over to the Extra Magic Hours at EPCOT. I thought experiencing Future World late at night would be interesting.
I made it as far as the train station in Main Street before getting stuck behind the parade route barrier. I thought I would have to wait out the entire parade before getting out of the park. To my surprise, they allowed a large group of people to cross the street during a break in the parade floats. I was quite pleased that they did this for the guests trying to leave for the evening. It really made things a bit easier for me. This way I wouldnt have to join thousands of other guests trying to exit the park once the parade did come to an end. Yet again, I was staying one step ahead of the crowds.
I quickly traveled to the TTC lot using the express monorail. The tram took me to my car and I was quite happy to see it. It had been baking in the sun since 8:30 AM while I traveled around the resort using the monorail and, somewhat, miserable bus system.
I parked right up front once I arrived at EPCOT. Crowds of people were exiting the park since it was officially closed for the evening. Extra Magic Hours were for resort guests only and it felt pretty neat entering while everyone else exited.
I picked up an orange bracelet at a table set up near the entrance of the park after showing my ID and off I went into Future World. I didnt go far because my addiction was looming in the area. Yes, it was time for some more Spaceship Earth. This time, I tried something a bit different while I rode. I got out my IPOD Mini and turned on some ambient music as I approached the top of the ride. My music selection consisted of John Serrie who is widely known as the person responsible for composing almost all of the space music heard in planetariums around the world. When my ride vehicle entered the star field with planet Earth far off in the distance, I could have shed a tear. My music mixed with this sight was a pretty incredible experience.
On my way out of Spaceship Earth, I noticed a small child peering through a tiny hole in the wall. It was located in the empty room you have to walk through to get out of the building. I just couldnt pass up the opportunity to see what the heck was behind the wall so I peered through the tiny hole after the kid left. I was floored by what I saw. It was quite deep in meaning. Through what appeared to be a scratched off paint on the wall was an old hand cranked telephone. The phone was lit by a spotlight but was sitting crooked inside the room as if it was discarded or forgotten. It hit me like a ton of bricks. After taking a ride through the history of mans desire to reach out and communicate, I was looking through a hidden hole in the wall and seeing an old defunct telephone. I just couldnt figure out why the Imagineers would leave something so obscure intact. There were no signs pointing to this tiny display and I walked by it almost ten times before some kid made me inspect the area a bit further. I had almost get on one knee to look through the peep hole of sorts. It was just one of the oddest experiences.
Looking through the hole in the wall upon exiting Spaceship Earth. WEIRD!
I headed over to Mission Space next and wanted to take a ride with my IPOD on. This time I would play something a bit faster that fit a simulated flight through space. I selected an appropriate electronic break beat track called Space Manoeuvers Pentexplorer. This was one of the most amazing experiences of my trip. My heart was racing as the music blared in my ear buds while flying through space towards Mars. The track I selected had samples of mission control radio commands throughout it and couldnt have fit what was going on any better. You know, music speaks to us in ways we can barely fathom. All it takes is that one song to take us back or take us forward; to make us feel strong or make us feel weak; to make us laugh, cry, or think. I wont ever forget that experience. It was an emotional journey which took my breath away. Unique opportunities like that only roll by us once in a blue moon.
I then wandered over the small bridge which traverses the waters near the old Odyssey restaurant. I was alone, it was dark, and I had my IPOD playing some soft music as I made my way down the softly lit path. I couldnt understand why Disney hadnt done something with the old Odyssey restaurant location. It was a uniquely shaped building with a unique location over the water near The World Showcase. As far as I could tell, it looked as if they were using it as some sort of corporate meeting or conference center.
The World Showcase was closed during Extra Magic Hours and it was darker than I had ever seen the area at night. I walked with the lagoon to my left as I made my way to the path which ran alongside the Journey into Imagination pavilion.
World Showcase / American Adventure Looking Darker Than Ive Ever Seen It
Spaceship Earth From The World Showcase Late at Night
Future World didnt have much to offer during Extra Magic Hours so I decided to take another ride with Figment even though I knew the experience would leave me feeling empty. There were only 3 other people in the loading area and the whole thing just cast an eerie feeling over me. In my opinion, they really need to do something better with this pavilion. Its only redeeming quality is the upside-down waterfall fountain out in front.
Creepy Feelings at The Journey Into Imagination Ride
Upside-Down Fountain at Night
Epcot Late at Night 1
Epcot Late at Night 2
I decided to stay clear of Soarin as I knew it would be packed. Instead, I headed towards Mouse Gear to do some souvenir shopping since I was leaving WDW the next day. With that out of the way, I made my way towards the exit of the park. I, of course, took one more ride on Spaceship Earth just to say goodbye. This would be my last trip through the Geosphere on this trip.
I was pretty hungry when I left EPCOT and headed towards 525 to pick up some late night Taco Bell. It wasnt long before I made my way back into the hotel room and feasted. I turned the TV on for only a brief moment and left the room to get some ice. I was going to walk back into the room and turn off the TV because I didnt want to take a chance on finding out who won the American Idol competition prematurely. Of course, as I was coming back into my room, I saw the winners face on The Tonight Show. Go figure. The surprise was ruined in an instant. With that, I poured myself a drink, turned off the TV, turned on a podcast, enjoyed my late night snack, and then drifted off into my last nights sleep at WDW.
My wake-up call was set for 10:30 AM the next morning. Since it was my last day at the resort, I wanted to stay in my room as long as I could. My flight was leaving at 6:00 PM so I would have plenty of time to spend at The Magic Kingdom before heading over to the airport to catch my flight. Finally, I would get some well-deserved extra sleep.
WDW SOLO trip report May 23-27, 2005
Day 4 - Thursday, May 26th
Losing My Car for a Day Walking 100 Miles Burning the Midnight Oil at EPCOT
Cast:
Me Jeff - 29 yr old male 10th time to WDW 1st SOLO Trip
Its Me When I had Blonde Hair. Woah!
Thursday, May 26 The Doing Whatever I Feel Like Day and Walking 100 Miles Day
I saved myself the annoyance of hearing Stitch when my wake-up call arrived at 7:15 AM by simply picking up the phone and slamming it down. I pictured Stitchs head sitting on the receiver and hoped I had dealt him a nasty blow. Yeah, I showed him!!
The only park I had not yet visited during this trip was The Animal Kingdom. However, I really only wanted to ride Dinosaur and see Lucky. This made my morning plans quite easy to devise. I would enjoy a Magic Kingdom morning since I could get so much done there in the early hours and then get over to the Animal Kingdom a bit later.
I couldnt turn on the TV to watch the news because I am a big dork who had watched American Idol all season long. I, of course, missed the finale the night before (Idol or WDW hrmm, tough freakin choice) and didnt want to know who won the competition before viewing the recorded finale at home. I knew if I turned the TV on at all, from that point on, that I would see the winners face posted all over the place. Anyways, the important information coming from the news would just be more of the same. They would report that it was going to be hot enough to fry an egg on the sidewalk.
I arrived at the TTC and parked my rental there with about 20 minutes until the rope drop. FINALLY! After a month or more of it being closed, the express monorail to the Magic Kingdom had been re-opened. This was a welcome sight for sure and I knew they had brought it back online in anticipation of the huge influx of crowds. The Summer vacation season would officially get underway in just one days time. It would be the Friday before Memorial Day and it was all about to hit the fan. Thank goodness I was flying out before the real mess began.
As usual, I high-tailed it to Tomorrowland, grabbed a Fastpass for Space Mountain, and rode it twice. My morning commute through space had become a ritual of sorts this week and I cherished every minute of it. Space Mountain was becoming as addictive as Spaceship Earth. Not a good sign.
After that, I took two rides on Buzz. I was determined to break the 100,000 point mark and did so with 100,250 on my second go around. With my ego boosted, I headed off into Fantasyland for my Pooh fix.
My escape into The Hundred Acre Wood was as satisfying as I came to expect. I headed right next door for some old-school goodness at Snow Whites Scary Adventures. I dont know what it was about this beat up old ride. I suppose it reminded me of the old dark rides I went on when I was a kid at different amusement parks. They always seemed to be scary in nature and Snow White was good throw back to those happy times.
I couldnt pass up a ride on a Doom Buggy afterwards; so, I bee-lined it over to Liberty Square and entered The Haunted Mansion. For some reason, the ride seemed to be operating better than it had been during the past month. I think they were really trying to get prepared for the large Summer crowds that would be beating down the doors in just 24 hours. Peter Pans Flight was even slated to re-open the next day after a short rehab.
Next, I secured a Fastpass for Big Thunder Mountain as I really wanted to ride it during the evening hours to get the full effect. After grabbing a pass, I got on Splash Mountain. Behind me, in the queue, was a large group of young teens acting completely obnoxious. They were yelling and screaming like maniacs and bumping into me repeatedly while rapping and carrying on ghetto style with foul language. I ended up slamming my elbow squarely into one of the monsters ribs the next time I was bumped into. I saw him wince in pain as I smiled my way towards the loading area. An older guy in front of me turned around and commented on their behavior. We were on the same page and I asked the cast member responsible for loading the ride vehicles if she would seat us far from the loud kids behind me. The guy in front of me thanked me as she held up the line and filled my request. Just a little effort from a good cast member goes a long way these days. I thanked her for understanding my plight and boarded my log.
As I made my way through Chikapin Hill, I noticed they had the water jets in the laughing place back on which made me happy. Of course, there was still a ton of things just a bit off but I still enjoyed myself. I really didnt want to get wet at the end so I ducked all the way under the seat in front of me and covered my head with the wash cloth I had with me to wipe away perspiration. This made for a lovely picture upon exiting the ride but I was as dry as I could be. Could I be more anal?
Afterwards, I wanted to make my way out of the park and get over to the Animal Kingdom. I figured I could catch some lunch and enjoy the few attractions and sights over there before it got too incredibly hot.
I decided to take the monorail over to EPCOT as I had not done it in years. My mind started reeling as to how I could work it all out. My plan was to leave my car at the TTC, ride the monorail over to EPCOT, and then head straight to the bus that transferred me to the Animal Kingdom. I did just that and my long ride on the monorail was great. I took some awesome pictures while taking the loop around Future World. It was all well worth going out of my way and leaving my car behind.
From the Monorail 1
From the Monorail 2
From the Monorail 3
From the Monorail 4
From the Monorail 5
I walked right down the monorail platform and into the bus parking area. The Animal Kingdom transport was, of course, loading at the very last spot in the lot. I swear I walked a quarter mile to get there.
Exiting the Monorail
It wasnt long before I arrived at The Animal Kingdom. I walked another quarter mile from the bus parking lot to the front gates. My feet were singing at this point and I was quite hungry and sweaty.
I looked over at the Rainforest café and decided that I could sit at the bar, have a beer, and enjoy lunch without being stared at like a lonely old freak. Before I entered, my cell phone rang with a client on the other end. I quickly took care of some business while standing at the Animal Kingdom entrance. After I hung up, I wondered if my client would ask herself why she heard the sound of gorillas and tropical birds squawking in the background while she spoke with me. If she said anything to me upon my return, I would simply say I was doing some tech support for a zoo or some such non-sense.
I let my poor client wrap her brain around the odd call while I bypassed the large crowd trying to get a seat for lunch and bellied up to the Rainforest Café bar. To my delight, they were serving cold pints of Fosters Lager in the infamous oil can. This drink had been one of my staples and really knocked the heat off my back.
I enjoyed my large beer and an order of Pot Roast for lunch. The food wasnt spectacular but I had experienced MUCH worse during this trip. I was quite satisfied with my lunch and got to talk to a young couple from Australia while at the bar. I thought it was quite odd that I was sitting there drinking an Australian beer while I talked to these people.
The restaurant itself was a sight to see. I had never been in a Rainforest Café so I was a bit surprised when it started raining inside the restaurant. Things didnt improve much when the monkeys and elephants started going crazy. I felt like I was in some sort of plastic robot freak show. It all came off a bit cheesy but it sure was a unique dining experience. I wouldnt say that I would go back to The Rainforest Café for another meal, but it is a great place to eat if you are SOLO. Simply grab a seat at the bar and grab a menu.
I left The Rainforest Café feeling about 80% better than I had arrived. My back, legs, and feet werent aching nearly as bad as they were when I arrived; Furthermore, I was cooled off and much happier. I had been trying all week long to get lunch reservations at Le Cellier but had no luck. Im sure the Ranforest was a far cry from Le Cellier but it served me well on this hot day. God bless the Fosters oil can in hot weather.
Le Cellier Keeps Alluding Me
Since I only had a couple of things on my Animal Kingdom to-do list, I took my time entering the park by strolling through the Oasis. On my way in, I grabbed a guidebook and, after I was done walking through the Oasis, I noticed that the Flights of Wonder show was going to start in just under 15 minutes. I saw this show a couple of years after the AK opened and remembered enjoying it. I couldnt fit it in on my last trip and was determined to catch the next show.
The Oasis 1
The Oasis 2
Before I went over to the Flights of Wonder theater, I wanted to grab a Fastpass for Dinosaur. This would guarantee a minimal wait after I was done seeing the big-brained bird show. Getting to Dinoland and then back to the Asia section of the park in about 12 minutes was tough. I effectively killed all my pleasant feelings from lunch by seriously hoofing it across the park. It was a brutal experience but I made it to the Flights theater with a Dinosaur Fastpass in my pocket just as they were roping off the entrance.
The show was just as entertaining as I could remember. Its kinda funny what you can make an animal do by bribing it with food. Any bird that gets the chance to fly away and ends up coming back to a cage is a hungry one. Either that or they prefer the air- conditioned environment to that of the stifling heat and humidity of Florida. Those are just two theories. My money is on the fact that they must have a case of Fosters beer back there in the bird hut.
Flights of Wonder 1
Flights of Wonder 2
After the drunken bird show was finished, I headed all the way back to Dinosaur and took a ride. It uses the same innovative vehicles as the Indiana Jones ride in Cali, but Im sure Dinosaur cant even hold a match to it. Ive even read stories of how much they skimped under budgetary concerns when building Dinosaur. This is one reason why it is so dark inside; to hide the lack of theming. I am just glad that we get to enjoy the same ride system used in Cali because its quite the experience. Ive always thoroughly enjoyed Dinosaur; I just dont consider it a huge loss if its missed while visiting WDW. Expedition Everest will have to fill the headliner attraction gap out at The Animal Kingdom. The park is in desperate need of another not-to-be-missed attraction.
After I exited Dinosaur, Lucky the Dinosaur was about to make an appearance so I hung around near the Triceratop Spin to see the show. I did see him during my trip in April during some sort of soft preview but he only walked by. There was no act to go with his appearance.
Lucky came out with a professor of sorts from the Dino Institute and they went through quite the humanizing act with Lucky. At one point, the professor gave Lucky a drink from an obnoxious looking souvenir cup which gave Lucky the hiccups. The professor had all the kids nearby gather in front of Lucky to try to scare the hiccups out of him. It, of course, did not work and Lucky hiccupped his way through the remainder of Dinoland.
Its Lucky and The Professor
Although I had no desire to spend time watching Lucky a second time, I thought he was the perfect addition to Dinoland, USA. For the life of me, I couldnt figure out why they were going to remove the attraction by the end of the Summer season. Lucky belonged in The Animal Kingdom. The only reason I can come up with for him to be leaving was that McDonalds has Disney on a super short budget leash. Dinoland, USA is sponsored by McDonalds and even looks cheap and cheesy to me. Its overly obvious and somewhat insulting.
My feet were slowly but surely melting into the pavement. The heat was becoming relentless. It was time to make my way out of the park for an afternoon rest. I grabbed a bottle of water and an ice cream cookie to help me through the remainder of my walk.
On the way out of the park, I walked down towards the exit of the Its Tough to be a Bug theater and found some lesser known paths which wind their way around the Tree of Life. On my last trip to the park, I had heard a cast member telling another guest about the hidden paths. Sure enough, I was the only person on these paths which came as close to the Tree of Life as you could get. It was odd to find such a quiet place while there were plenty of people filling the park. I took my time exploring Discovery Island and snapped some pictures of my surroundings.
Discovery Cove
Tree of Life from Discovery Cove 1
Discovery Cove 2
Discovery Cove 3
Discovery Cove 4
Discovery Cove 5
Discovery Cove 6
Discovery Cove 7
I had to take a bus back to Pop since I had left my car in the Transportation and Ticket Center lot. I had planned on spending another evening out at The Magic Kingdom so I would just pick up my car later on.
Exiting the Animal Kingdom
The bus ride back to the hotel was a miserable one and only solidified my resolve to always rent a car while vacationing at WDW. All of the seats were filled were quickly filled by the guests at The Animal Kingdom and the driver still stopped at Blizzard Beach to pickup more guests. Myself and others on the bus commented on this. No one could quite figure out where people were supposed to fit. Even the people getting on the bus at Blizzard Beach shook their heads at how full the bus already was when it arrived. Some people opted to not even get on. It was a pointless stop and I was absolutely exhausted from such a busy morning. It was almost 3 PM and my body was painfully in need of some rest. I was in no mood to have a half naked and somewhat wet woman in a bathing suit dangle her rear in my face while I sat on the bus. I even offered my seat to her to avoid the situation and be courteous; but, she refused it. Her pride had conveniently provided me with a less than pleasant view while we made our way back to Pop.
Once we did arrive back at the hotel, I practically pushed my way off the sardine can on wheels just to get some fresh air. I usually didnt react that way to crowded and enclosed spaces, but the heat and fatigue drains just about every last drop of patience from even the most fanatical WDW fan. I vowed not to leave my rental car ever again as I unlocked the door to my room.
I grabbed a cold beer out of my ice chest as soon as I got back into the room and sighed with relief. After gaining a slightly leg numbing buzz from the alcohol, I decided to draw a hot bath and dump some aromatherapy muscle soak salts into the water. Yes, it was somewhat emasculating to sit in a tub full of bath salts but I didnt care. My body was beat down. I had not been able to secure more than 6 hours of sleep since I had arrived and was paying dearly for it. One disadvantage to taking a SOLO trip is that you have no one else with you to tell you when to slow down a bit. Its easy to just keep pushing yourself without thought of how you may be affected by it.
After grabbing a couple hours worth of nap timed while struggling, once again, with the noise all around me at Pop, I woke up and grabbed a bus ride over to The Magic Kingdom. It was 6:00 PM and around dinner time so the bus service wasnt as crowded with guests and the ride over to The Magic Kingdom was much more pleasant than my ride back to Pop from The Animal Kingdom.
An Early Evening Bus Ride to the MK from Pop
More Details on Main Street
I started out in The Magic Kingdom by taking a pleasant ride through the Pirates of the Caribbean and then headed towards The Haunted Mansion. On my way into Liberty Square, I noticed that the Riverboat was pulling up to the dock and would depart for its last trip of the day. I detoured my way onto the boat since this SOLO trip was, partly, about doing things a bit differently. I couldnt even recall taking a ride on the riverboat. If I had done this in the past, the experience certainly occurred when I was too young to remember. This made things sort of exciting and different.
Taking a leisurely ride around the Rivers of America at sunset was just what the doctor ordered. I really enjoyed hearing the steam whistle blow. My favorite part was finally finding the river pirates partying in some cavern bar. You could hear them carrying on inside and our narrator for the trip was no longer worried about them causing us trouble during our journey. They were too busy to care about a boatload of funky looking tourists no matter how many fancy cameras we possessed.
Taking Pics of Myself on the Riverboat
The Steam!!
Aunt Pollys
A Trip Down The River of America
River Pirates Attack!
Big Thunder Mountain From the Riverboat
Alligator Swamp
Devils Elbow Marker
Wilsons Cave Inn. We Find The Pirates!
Liberty Square From the Riverboat
I was quite hungry after getting off the Liberty Square Riverboat. It was no surprise when I quickly ended up at the Pinnochio Village Haus in Fantasyland. Oddly enough, I was in the mood for a burger. I got the bacon cheeseburger with fries and enjoyed it quite a bit. I never ate junky fast food such as this but I knew I would walk the thing off by the end of the night. That was a certainty.
After my dinner, it was getting dark and I had a Fastpass for Big Thunder Mountain. I had been planning for quite some time to take a ride at night on the BTM Railroad. Therefore, I headed towards Frontierland to enjoy the experience. On my way over, I just had to stop and get another churro. It would make for the perfect desert and I easily finished it while walking along the river bank.
For some reason, Big Thunder was slammed with guests. I had to wait close to 20 minutes to board. This would easily be the longest wait for a ride on my trip. I couldnt turn back because they had already taken my Fastpass. The ride at night did turn out to be worth the wait though.
Big Thunder truly shows all of its magic at night. For example, during the flooded town scene, the second story windows of one of the buildings are lit up and there are shadowy figures of people dancing. This is not visible during the day and I was glad to have seen it. Many of the mountain scenes are lit with colored lights and the atmosphere is just great. I highly recommend taking a Big Thunder ride in the evening.
It was now around 9:00 PM and Spectromagic had started. My plan was to exit The Magic Kingdom, finally pick up my car which I left in the TTC lot in the morning, and then head over to the Extra Magic Hours at EPCOT. I thought experiencing Future World late at night would be interesting.
I made it as far as the train station in Main Street before getting stuck behind the parade route barrier. I thought I would have to wait out the entire parade before getting out of the park. To my surprise, they allowed a large group of people to cross the street during a break in the parade floats. I was quite pleased that they did this for the guests trying to leave for the evening. It really made things a bit easier for me. This way I wouldnt have to join thousands of other guests trying to exit the park once the parade did come to an end. Yet again, I was staying one step ahead of the crowds.
I quickly traveled to the TTC lot using the express monorail. The tram took me to my car and I was quite happy to see it. It had been baking in the sun since 8:30 AM while I traveled around the resort using the monorail and, somewhat, miserable bus system.
I parked right up front once I arrived at EPCOT. Crowds of people were exiting the park since it was officially closed for the evening. Extra Magic Hours were for resort guests only and it felt pretty neat entering while everyone else exited.
I picked up an orange bracelet at a table set up near the entrance of the park after showing my ID and off I went into Future World. I didnt go far because my addiction was looming in the area. Yes, it was time for some more Spaceship Earth. This time, I tried something a bit different while I rode. I got out my IPOD Mini and turned on some ambient music as I approached the top of the ride. My music selection consisted of John Serrie who is widely known as the person responsible for composing almost all of the space music heard in planetariums around the world. When my ride vehicle entered the star field with planet Earth far off in the distance, I could have shed a tear. My music mixed with this sight was a pretty incredible experience.
On my way out of Spaceship Earth, I noticed a small child peering through a tiny hole in the wall. It was located in the empty room you have to walk through to get out of the building. I just couldnt pass up the opportunity to see what the heck was behind the wall so I peered through the tiny hole after the kid left. I was floored by what I saw. It was quite deep in meaning. Through what appeared to be a scratched off paint on the wall was an old hand cranked telephone. The phone was lit by a spotlight but was sitting crooked inside the room as if it was discarded or forgotten. It hit me like a ton of bricks. After taking a ride through the history of mans desire to reach out and communicate, I was looking through a hidden hole in the wall and seeing an old defunct telephone. I just couldnt figure out why the Imagineers would leave something so obscure intact. There were no signs pointing to this tiny display and I walked by it almost ten times before some kid made me inspect the area a bit further. I had almost get on one knee to look through the peep hole of sorts. It was just one of the oddest experiences.
Looking through the hole in the wall upon exiting Spaceship Earth. WEIRD!
I headed over to Mission Space next and wanted to take a ride with my IPOD on. This time I would play something a bit faster that fit a simulated flight through space. I selected an appropriate electronic break beat track called Space Manoeuvers Pentexplorer. This was one of the most amazing experiences of my trip. My heart was racing as the music blared in my ear buds while flying through space towards Mars. The track I selected had samples of mission control radio commands throughout it and couldnt have fit what was going on any better. You know, music speaks to us in ways we can barely fathom. All it takes is that one song to take us back or take us forward; to make us feel strong or make us feel weak; to make us laugh, cry, or think. I wont ever forget that experience. It was an emotional journey which took my breath away. Unique opportunities like that only roll by us once in a blue moon.
I then wandered over the small bridge which traverses the waters near the old Odyssey restaurant. I was alone, it was dark, and I had my IPOD playing some soft music as I made my way down the softly lit path. I couldnt understand why Disney hadnt done something with the old Odyssey restaurant location. It was a uniquely shaped building with a unique location over the water near The World Showcase. As far as I could tell, it looked as if they were using it as some sort of corporate meeting or conference center.
The World Showcase was closed during Extra Magic Hours and it was darker than I had ever seen the area at night. I walked with the lagoon to my left as I made my way to the path which ran alongside the Journey into Imagination pavilion.
World Showcase / American Adventure Looking Darker Than Ive Ever Seen It
Spaceship Earth From The World Showcase Late at Night
Future World didnt have much to offer during Extra Magic Hours so I decided to take another ride with Figment even though I knew the experience would leave me feeling empty. There were only 3 other people in the loading area and the whole thing just cast an eerie feeling over me. In my opinion, they really need to do something better with this pavilion. Its only redeeming quality is the upside-down waterfall fountain out in front.
Creepy Feelings at The Journey Into Imagination Ride
Upside-Down Fountain at Night
Epcot Late at Night 1
Epcot Late at Night 2
I decided to stay clear of Soarin as I knew it would be packed. Instead, I headed towards Mouse Gear to do some souvenir shopping since I was leaving WDW the next day. With that out of the way, I made my way towards the exit of the park. I, of course, took one more ride on Spaceship Earth just to say goodbye. This would be my last trip through the Geosphere on this trip.
I was pretty hungry when I left EPCOT and headed towards 525 to pick up some late night Taco Bell. It wasnt long before I made my way back into the hotel room and feasted. I turned the TV on for only a brief moment and left the room to get some ice. I was going to walk back into the room and turn off the TV because I didnt want to take a chance on finding out who won the American Idol competition prematurely. Of course, as I was coming back into my room, I saw the winners face on The Tonight Show. Go figure. The surprise was ruined in an instant. With that, I poured myself a drink, turned off the TV, turned on a podcast, enjoyed my late night snack, and then drifted off into my last nights sleep at WDW.
My wake-up call was set for 10:30 AM the next morning. Since it was my last day at the resort, I wanted to stay in my room as long as I could. My flight was leaving at 6:00 PM so I would have plenty of time to spend at The Magic Kingdom before heading over to the airport to catch my flight. Finally, I would get some well-deserved extra sleep.
